Hydraulic clutch.



NQ. 895,491. f .A 'Il 1: I F HYDRAULIC CLUTCH.

APPLICATION FILED MAE. 18, 1908.

2 sums-s112111 1.

PATBNTBD AUC. 11, 1903.

PATBNTED AUG. 1i, 1908.

F. NASH.

HYDRAULIC CLUTCH..

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 18, 1908.'

-sliding blades whic srnrns' Yparanr onirica.

- To all whom it imzjiconcern: l

Be it known thatl, FREDERICK Nasina subject of the King of England,.and residing at 65 Lancaster road",\ South Hampstead, London, England, no occupation, have in` vented a certain new and useful Improvement in Hydraulic Clutches, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description', and for which I have applied for Letters Patent in Great Britain, No.-21,275-of 1907, filed and dated September 25,"`\1907.

This invention relates to improvements in hydraulic clutches and is particularly adapted for use with thc explosion-engines of automobiles. Y ,e

The invention is of the t e which cmploys two concentric mein eis between which an annular chamber is rovided for the oil or other liquid. In suc. clutches it has been proposedto obstruct to a variable degree the passage of oil around this chamber by means of p ivoted iiaps or radially may be raised from one or other of the clutch members so as to restrict or. reveiit the circulation of oil.

Accor( ing to the present invention, the chamber is sub-divided into a. number of parallel sections b means of annular rings projecting inward y from the flywheel, and the pivoted a s or the like are provided with segments o similar rings. Thus as the iaps are forced outwardly towards the full driving position, the segments which they carry will enter the grooves lying between the rings on the outer chamber, and so obstruct the passage of liquid. Owing to the constrictive effect of the narrow grooves and the. greater area in contact with the liquid, the torque transmitted by the clutch is much more powerful than in a similar clutch of the ordinary construction referred to above, and the iniso crease 'of force transmitted as the ilaps ere raised takes place in a more regular manner. The flaps may be controlled in any convenient manner as for instance by a correspondingJr number of rods sliding radiallyin suitab e guides and connected by links to an o erating collar movable upon the shaft. fie segments are preferably inadeintegral with the flaps ,to insure rigidity.

The invenuen is tereeeer fieeeebea enh 1 reference to the accompanying drawings in whichi Spe-ccatiomlof Letters Patent. Application led March'l, 1908. Serial No. 421,959.

HYDRAULIC CLUTCH. i

Patented Aug. 11, reos.

Fig. 3 is a detail of a `.pi-tion of one of the ring sections of the Piywheel. Fig. 4 is a similar view of a modification. F ig.. 5 represents a s ecial form of pivoted flap.

The ywhee a is mounted on the driving shaft b and has a number of projecting rings c upon its internal periphery dividing the annular chamberiuto cellular com artments. The flywheel may be built up as s own with anurnber of rings c each carrying a portion a' of the rim of the flywheel, the elementsbeing tlius of T section. A concentric groove d is cut around the edge of the part a' and\engaged by a corresponding lip or fillet upomthe adjoining edge. Any desired number of\these elements may be thus attached to theilywheel plate a; a second end plate shown at e is similarly vfitted to the other end and the whole bolted securely together. Any

may however be employed.

The annular rings c may have wedgeshaped projections c upon either side as .shown'in Fig. 3, so disposed as to force the liquid away from the ring c` as the latter passes through it in the direction indicated. Alternatively the ring may have similarly tapered recesses c2 upon either side, and these recesses or the before mentioned projections may be placed obliquely as in Fig. 4, so tending to throw the liquid towards the center.

Around the peri hery of the flywheel are s aced a number o cross baisf. These may a o be tapered in section so as to throw the liquid towards the inner portions ofthe annuler cells' and so revent leakage past the tips ofthe flaps or blades. l

' The inner member or clutch g is mounted upon the driven shaft h and isshown guided by a. spigot 'i central of the flywheel. Flaps k are ivoted at cu on this clutch and are conti-o led by suitab e operative rods here shown as liners Z. The pivots c of the flag; are shown disposed slightl radially inwur of the periphe of T iese links are attached to a dis r m fiar which may be slid along the shaft h by means of a collar v or the like. The sleeve u is provided with inwardly projecting pins or keys u fitting in spiral keyways 7i. cut in the shaft med upon a sleeve 'u shaft. This rotary movement o the sleeve'u. and disk m as represented by the arrow in Big. 1 causes the links I to move into thsposition z' shtml in dotted lines, SQ

V,into the clutch g and leave the liquid free space for circulation; Vhen the extreme position is reached, the segments are wholly within the clutch aird the resistance offered to the liquid is a minimum; this constitutes the free position of the clutch.' When however the segments are ushed outwards to the position shown in t ie drawing, the resistance is a maximum; this constitutes the driving position. The segments p may be given any desired sha e; lior instance, they may be of the form s iown by full lines in F ig. l or the maybe made of approximately triangular s ape by rounding off one o uter gegner as indicated by dotted lines in said re. i In Fig. 5 I have shown a flap suitable for a clutch in which the annular chamber is di- -:idedinto two cells. This flap has duplicated blades k2, connected by ribs 7c3, the blades and ribs bein exposed to the current of liquid as the flap i is pushed outwards by the link l. In this view the iiap c'is pro vided with a lip w to engage a cut away pprtion a: in the recess y in the periphery o g The segments upon the pivotedlaps are preferably of a thickness tapering against the movement of the liquid, Jtheir shape thus being analogous to that of the projection c' so as to direct the liquid against the annular rings on either side as it passes the wedgeshaped segments. The annular rings upon the flywheel may be' made with a number o similar wedges at suitable intervals: For instance the ring may comprise equal numbers of sections of" tapering and of uniform Athickness so that the circumference is evenly 'lividcd between the two kinds.

The rings upon the flywheel may have a slightly rough surface either in parts Vor entirely, in order to increase the grip of the liquid. This may be provided by leaving the corresponding parts unmachined or only roughly turned, it being however understood that therings are rendered perfectly true in their revolution. i

Having thus described my invention what I claim as such and desire to secure by Letters Patent is z.- v

1. A hydraulic clutch comprising an outer containing member, an inner member concentric therewith, an annular chamber for liquid between said concentric members, said members being mounted one on the es driving shatA and the other on the driven shaft, ilaps mounted on the inner member and pivoted thereto, annular rings upon thc internal periphery of the outer member, said rings affording annular cells in the chamber between the concentric members, said ila s carrying segments adapted to fit said ce s,

and means for causing the pivoted-flaps to l obstruct the passage 'of liquid through said cells to a-variable degree by means of thcv segments carried on said fiaps.

Y 2L A hydraulic clutch comprising an outcr containing member, an inner member concentric therewith, an annular chamber for liquid between said concentric members,

said members bein mounted one on the driving shaft and t e other on the driven i shaft, flaps mounted on the inner member and pivoted thereto, annular rings upon the inner periphery of the outer concentric member, said rings affording annular cells in said chamber, Wedge-shape projections upon the side of the rings to force the liquid" away from the latter, said flaps being seated in the inner member and carrying segments adapted to pass between said annular rings, and means ror causing said pivoted flaps to project their serments to a variable extent across the annular chamber.

3. -A hydraulic clutch comprising an outer v i containing member, an inner member concentric therewith, an annular chamber for h uid between said i concentric members,

said members bein, mounted one en the driving shaft and t ie other on the driven shaft, flaps mounted on the inner member and pivoted thereto, annular rings )rovided upon 'the internal periphery of t c outer member, said rings affording annular cells A in said chamber, said flaps carrying segments adapted to fit between said rings,

means provided on the walls of said annulacontaining member, an inner member con.

centric therewith, an annular chamber for i liquid between said concentric members,

said members being mounted one on the driving shaft and the other on the driven shaft, flaps mounted on the inner member and pivoted thereto, said outer chamber con-A sisting of parallel T -section elements illeted together and having4 inwardly proi'ectin' rings dividing the chamber into eels, end

plates to hold said elements of the outer member together, said flaps carrying segments adapted to engage between said rings, and means for actuating the iiaps.

5. A hydraulic clutch comprising an outer containing member, an inner member concentric therewith, an annular chamber for liquid between said concentric members,

said members being mounted one on the 13o' driving shaft and the other on the driven shaft, flaps mounted on the inner member and pivoted thereto, annular rings u on the internal peripher ofrthe-outernnmm er, de-

ices upon the si e of said rings to throw the liquid towards the center, said flaps being pivoted below the outer periphery of the inner member and having attachments and .means whereby said attachments can be vthe outer periphery of the inner member and carrying segments adapted to fit in the annular cells formed between said rings, andmeans 4for actuating and'controlling the pivoted flaps.

7. A hydraulic clutch comprising an outer containing member, an inner member concentric therewith, an annular chamber for liquid between 4said concentric members, said members being mounted one lon the driving shaft and the other on the driven shaft, flaps mounted on the inner member and pivoted thereto, said pivotsV for the 'hinged flaps being inside'of the periphery of the inner member, segments mounted upon the' pivoted flaps, means for actuating said flaps and causing their segments to obstruct the annular chamber to a variable extent, and annular rings upon the' inner peri vhery of said outer member, saidseginents tting between said rings.

8. A hydraulic clutch comprising an outer containing member, an inner member concentric therewith, an annuler chamber for liquid between said concentric members, said members bein mounted one onv the driving shaft 'and t e other on the driven shaft, flaps mounted on the inner member and pivoted thereto, said pivots` for the hinged aps being radially inwards of the outer periphery of the inner member, segner member.

ments carried by said iiaps and capable of prxecting into 'the annular chamber aforesai means for actuating said flaps and 4means for irieventing the passage of said flaps beyon the outer peripheryof the in- I9. In a hydraulic clutch, a'ap adapted to be hinged to one ofthe members and comprising segments upstandng on said flap, ribs upon said segments, and a lip upon said iiap to revent the iap from passing beyond the .periphery of the clutch member to which it is hinged. i

10. In a hydraulic clutch of the type described, the combination with annular rings upon the inner periphc of the outer member, of movable flaps Ihinged in the inner member and carrying segments with trans- `verse ribs said iibs iitting in the annular -cells between said rings in the chamber between said clutch members. j

11. In a hydraulic clutch, the combination of flaps hinged to one of the clutch members, upstanding segments mounted on said flaps, operative links pivoted at one endpto said flaps and at the other end pivoted to a common disk member, said'disk mounted on a sleeve slidable along a shaft, spiral keyways formed in said shaft and keys projecting Afrom said sleeve into said keyways, so that sliding movement imparted to the` sleeve will rotate the disk and actuate the hinged flaps.

12. A hydraulic clutch, comprising an outer containing member, an inner member concentric therewith, said members mounted on separate. shafts, so as to leave an annular chamber for liquid between said members, recesses in the periphery of said inner -member, flaps pivoted at one end in said recesses in said inner member, means for preventing said flaps from rising outo said member, segments carried by said flaps and transverse ribs mounted on said flaps so that said segments and ribs may project into said annular chamber,.and between annular ringsrom the inner periphery of said outer member, and means for actuating and controlling the position of said flaps, segments and ribs.

13. A hydraulic cIuth, comprising an outer containing member, an inner member concentric therewith, said members mounted onse arate shafts so' as to leave an annular chain er for liquid between said members, recessesin the periphery of said inner member, flaps pivoted at one end in seid recesses in said inner member, a lip upon the free ends of said iaps to engage a stop in the recesses' of said inner member, segments and ribs upon the outer face of-se-id frz-ips, annular ringsf` from the inner peripherv or seid outer inein- 14. A hydraulic clutch, comprising an.

outer member, an inner member concentric therewith, said members being mounted on shafts and affording an annular chamber for liquid, cross bars 'and annular rings upon the inner eriphery of the outer member, laps hinge in recesses' in the inner member, segments upon said flaps adapted to engage said rings, said outer member inclosing,r said inner member in the ormo a drum having end plates, and. meansfor actuating. and con-' trolling said flaps and blades fromwithout said drum. j t v 15,'A Ahydraulic clutch, comprising an outer incasing member consisting of a ywheel with endplates, an inner member disosed coneentrically within said outer member and fitting within said end-plates, an annular space or chamber for liquidbetween -'said members, annular rings from the inner periphery of said outer member, ilaps hinged in recesses in the outer periphery of said inner'meinber, segmental plates and transverse ribsniounted upon said hinged flaps adapted to project into said annular chamber when desired, said segments and ribs itting 4 between said rings and means for varying the wheel with end-plates, an inner'menioer dis posed concentrically within said outer memer and fitting within said end-plates, an ane( nular space or chamber for liquid betweenl said members, 4annular rings from the inner periphery of said .outer members, ilaps inged in recesses iii the outer periphery of said inner member, segmental Aplates and transverse ribs mounted upon said hinged fiaps adapted to project into said annular chamber when desired, said segments and ribs fitting between said rings and links from the inner side of said fiaps to a rotatable device in the clutch operated trom outside the clutch, so that the projection of the plates and ribs on seid iiaps into the annular chamber may he varied as desired. `i

17. A. hydraulic clutch, comprising an outer incasing member consisting of a flywheel with end-plates, an inner member d isposed concentrically within said outer inemer and fitting within said end-plates, an annular space or chamber for liquid between .joint between seid shafts, operative said members, annular rings from the. inner periphery of said outer member, flaps hinged in recesses in the outer periphery of said inner member, segmental plates and transverse ribs mounted upon said hinged flaps adapted to project into said annular chamber when desired, s'aid segments and ribs fitting between saidrings, said members being mounted on separate co-axial shafts, a spigot joint between said shafts, and means for varying from outside the clutch the position of said flaps and the upstanding devices thereon.

18. A hydraulic clutch, comprising an outer incasiiig.me1nber-consisting of a fiywheel with end-plates, un inner member disosed concentrically within said outer memer and fitting within said end-plates, an annular space or chamber for liquid between.

said members, annular rings from the inner periphery of said outer member, flaps hinged in recesses in the outer periphery of said innermembei", segmental plates and trans` verse ribs mounted upon said hinged flaps adapted to project into saidannular chamber mounted on separate co-axial sliafts, a s igot pivoted to the inner faces of said flaps and to -wlieii desired, said segments and ribs fitting between said rings, said members being inks an annular disk-member mounted within the inner clutch, said. disk-member securedto a.' sleeve slidable upon one of the clutch-member shafts, spiral keyways formed in such shaft and keys projecting from said sleeve into said keyways, so that sliding movemento imparted to the sleeve will rotate the disk member and actuatethe hinged fiaps.

In witness whereof lhave hereunto set my a Witnesses:

Vieron F..FEENY, H. D. JmasoN. 

